Dust-E-Vac, Vector Venturi, and the Attachable Venturi Process, method and apparatus for cloud sweeping and collecting dust and debris from difficult to reach areas

ABSTRACT

These tuned nozzle tip attachments or extension wand modifications are for leaf blowers, workshop or industrial type exhausting vacuums, compressed air guns/extensions, and abatement systems and facilitate a method of dust cloud sweeping. Protection of the operator, coworkers, ventilation systems, and equipment in peripheral areas from most of the back draft, billowing, uncontrollable, peripheral dust that normally occurs with current know art is greatly enhanced. By rapidly aspirating, momentarily retaining, continuously recycling and gripping the billowing peripheral cloud of dust/debris back into the primary cleaning air stream at the nozzle point of egress the associated dust cloud that normally occurs is harmlessly dissipated. The elongated deflecting surface contact area achieves this in a manner that provides the utmost operator control and nozzle aspiration of the airborne dust much the same way the airflow around an airplane wing is controlled and provides lift to an aircraft.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is entitled to the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/225,932 filed Aug. 8/17, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] This invention and method relates to leaf blower nozzles, compressed air nozzles, exhausting vacuum nozzles, ventilation cleaning, and abatement systems. Specifically, the integrated modification or attachment of a precisely placed tuned pseudo Venturi deflecting conduit on a main air stream's egress port nozzle. I have discovered a significant increase in the control and the reduction of billowing back draft dust & debris is achieved when sweeping extremely dusty areas by using my method of cloud sweeping which incorporates a precisely placed tuned conduit. My cloud sweeping apparatus effectively tunes the efficiency of a nozzle by creating a vortex around the egress port nozzle whereby drawing in, momentarily retaining, and recycling peripheral dust and debris back into the main air stream. This apparatus facilitates my method of dust cloud sweeping and also incorporates an optional vacuum attachment. Compressed air alone scatters dust & debris and a vacuum alone would not be able to reach settled dust and debris. This becomes evident when trying to clean a surface such as a physically restricted area or the underside of a shelf dense with cabling, or partial obstructions and other places that harbor dust. The synergy provided by my method becomes apparent when faced with the situations mentioned above. Combining compressed air, leaf blower, or the exhausting port of a workshop vacuum cleaner, with the tuned pseudo Venturi vacuum action of my apparatus will increase the cleaning reach of an ordinary vacuum and provide dust control when the apparatus is used alone.

[0003] These devices are nozzle tip attachments and modifications for leaf blowers, workshop or industrial type exhausting vacuums, compressed air source, airflow, and abatement systems. They prevent the billowing of dust by introducing and recycling billowing peripheral dust/debris back into the main air stream via the secondary air streams developed by the conduit. They are intended to be used in hard to sweep and vacuum areas that have heavy dust and debris accumulation such as full parking lots, grain storage areas, construction sites and industrial equipment with many pipes, extending shelves, and other obstructions that limit the reach of personnel. Said device protects the operator and coworkers in peripheral areas from most of the back draft dust in confined areas such as crawl spaces that need periodic dusting. Superior results are also achieved when used in easy to clean areas. This is due to the ability of the proactive compressed air or agitator air streams working synergistically with said devices secondary air streams to suppress billowing. Whereby the ability to penetrate into cracks and crevices and loosen stuck-on dust & debris that ordinary passive sweeping, brushing vacuuming, or ordinary compressed air would miss. A percentage of the ambient dust and debris is intermittently recycled back into the air stream via the conduit as a mild sand blasting effect. This depends on the coarseness and amount of the dust and debris being evacuated. This action further aids in the suppression of billowing by colliding with and beating potentially billowing target dust back down.

[0004] The U.S. Post Office Mail Sorting Machines would be perfect examples of the extreme environment where these devices could be utilized. They generate pounds of a mail paper dust byproduct per hour from letters being processed at high speed throughout a machine the length of a bus and dense with apparatus that harbor mail paper dust. Much the same as a paper mill would generate a paper dust byproduct. Computer fans draw in the finer particles and load the inside with a talcum power like substance, static electricity make the dust cling to the underside of mail storage shelves that are loaded with drive belts and electrical cables. The dust builds up until vibration and gravity bring it to the ground or it falls on an operator trying to process the mail. Emergency stop buttons located on the underside of shelves get clogged with mail dust that sometimes intermittently stop the machines while they are processing mail. Computer diagnostics sense it as only a machine slow down and not a complete stop so technicians are lead to another area where the computer falsely senses the problem to be. Once mail paper dust is drawn into the grip of my apparatus it is completely controlled by the operator and evacuated with little touch-up cleaning required. Household and other industrial applications where dust needs to be evacuated quickly without disturbing the articles to be dusted can also be accomplished by using lower air pressure. Whereby allowing a fast high tech controlled evacuation method of displacing and removing dust from surfaces with ease from a considerable distance. Whereby greatly limiting operator and coworker exposure from the drifting billowing cloud that normally occurs when using uncontrolled common forced/compressed air cleaning methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1 displays an embodiment of the process using an industrial vacuum with the Dust-E-Vac nozzle attached to the exhausting/egress port of a vacuum cleaner. A leaf blower or compressed air could be also used. This embodiment can achieve maximum retention of dust at the egress point of the nozzle to facilitate optional vacuum wand efficiency.

[0006]FIGS. 2 and 3 shows construction and operation of the Vector Venturi nozzle. This embodiment achieves quick evacuation of dust to a collection area with minimum retention of dust at the egress point. The feature that makes this mode adaptable is the dual pivoting deflecting conduits. They allow the operator to change the angle and direction of the main air stream to move the dust out of a difficult area to a collection area. When using compressed air the optional vacuum wand will work best if air pressure is lowered for this mode. When using a leaf blower little retention of dust occurs where the vacuum wand would be attached so the optional vacuum wand is not recommended for this mode. This is due to the quick evacuation at the point of egress inherent to leaf blowers.

[0007]FIGS. 4 and 5 shows the Attachable Venturi Process in its simplest form. For this mode the vacuum attachment works best if mounted underneath the main air stream point of egress and only one or two said apparatus are mounted on top of the point of egress. The underside-tuned vortex that my top mounted apparatus creates will draw dust up from the bottom as the main air stream passes over the target dust.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] The Dust-E-Vac, Vector Venturi, and the Attachable Venturi Process may take on many forms, size and permutations to conform to the needs of the environment it is to be used in. Thus the unique generic cloud sweeping method and variable attachable apparatus that maximizes the ambient airflow process itself is the subject of this patent request. The addition of a tuned pseudo Venturi effect at the nozzle point of egress of an air flow system in such a way that enables the flow to create a maximum possible partial vacuum effect along with the exhaust, simultaneously, for the purpose of rapid dust & debris controlled evacuation. Being of the type having at one end of the deflecting conduit 1 a beveled/mitered opening 2 of sufficient angle, length, and surface contact area to deflect air from exhausting egress port of main air stream 3. Whereby creating and maximizing a substantial secondary displacement of air through said conduit 1. Whereby drawing, momentarily retaining and recycling a large volume of ambient air, dust/debris from the adjacent openings 4 that communicate with the surrounding ambient air, peripheral dust/debris, and with the intake air stream of the optional vacuum extension wand 5. Whereby creating a second substantial vortex turbulence at the egress port of said device 6. Which also draws and introduces maximum ambient air, dust/debris back into the main air stream and also into the reach of optional vacuum extension wand's normal draw area. The underside vortex 6 and adjacent intakes 4 facilitate and maximize a large volume of dust to be recycled back through the main airflow stream 3 whereby reducing and controlling billowing dust before it has a chance to drift back to the operator or to nearby areas. The optional vacuum wand attachment 5 will further increase performance. Creation of a recycling effect of dust & debris through the conduit intake, 4 underside vortex, 6 and exhausting output openings 7 would occur. This recycling effect will increase proportionally as the cfm/psi/airflow increases from the main air source egress port 3 whereby providing a larger draw and reach of floating and billowing dust from adjacent areas by said device's intake openings 4 and underside vortex 6. The device will recycle billowing dust in a vortex 6 until dust is evacuated through the main air stream 3. The operator will direct dust in a downward sweeping motion to an accessible area, nearby vacuum, or collection area. The daisy chaining of multiple said devices some distance apart working in series as an air stream dust conveyor is also an option to clean tunnel and ventilation ducts. This method would create a forced ventilation dust evacuation stream. Elimination of major dust billowing into the air is achieved with operator control of where the dust and debris is to be deposited. Airflow from said device's exhausting output openings 7 would be deflected to agitate and make stationary dust & debris airborne. This method will result in an increasing percentage to be captured by the simultaneously generated tuned pseudo Venturi vacuuming airflow effect from the said device's intake opening 4 and underside vortex 6. An increasing percentage of dust & debris development pile up will be pushed in the direction the operator chooses by the main air stream as current methods achieve, minus the billowing. The percentage of dust & debris pushed forward can be greatly reduced with the use of the optional vacuum attachment wand 5 and low air pressure. This is the preferred method to be used with people in the workplace when heavy dust/debris accumulations are present or when there is a need to clean an area that is blocked by a partial fence like obstructions. The preferred methods and apparatus for use with high air pressure in less restrictive and open areas are displayed in FIGS. 2 through 5. FIG. 2 displays dual pivoting conduits 8 for directional control.

[0009] Although preferred forms of the invention have been described above, it is to be understood disclosure is by way of illustration only, and should not be utilized in a restricting manner when interpreting the area of use of the present invention.

[0010] The preferred forms of the invention and method described above are unique to the demands of the environment. I hereby rely upon the Equivalents Doctrine to determine and assess the invention relevant to any apparatus outside the literal but not materially departing from the invention as described in the following claims. 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus to prevent billowing and initiate the rapid and controlled evacuation of dust and debris facilitating the method of dust cloud sweeping difficult to reach areas by maximizing and focusing the ambient airflow at the main air stream point of egress comprising; an elongated beveled conduit modification or attachment to current products on the market with common adaptive hardware that communicates as a deflection with the point of egress or nozzle of a compressed air device, workshop vacuum blower nozzle, air curtain, or an abatement system's main air stream; having sufficient deflecting length and angular mounting at the communicating end to create a tuned maximum ratio displacement of ambient air from the intake end and the underside vortex to create a tuned pseudo venturi effect by said apparatus.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body of material is composed of a suitable material and dimensions dependent upon the environment said device is to be used in. Nonconductive for electrical, stainless steel to limit wear, light weight material for ease of use, etc. Current plastics used for hot/cold potable water pipe suit this application for general use and durability.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said conduit's body is square, rectangular, round or funnel shaped depending upon the needs of the user's environment and being beveled/mitered at the exhausting post egress end and with openings at the other pre egress end to draw in ambient surrounding air. Said device being of sufficient length and angular mounting at the egress port to substantially deflect the main air stream and initiate a maximum vacuum action from said device's openings at its other end. Whereby also introducing a second vortex about 180 degrees across the main air stream's egress port from said apparatus that is created by the simple deflection in the area adjacent to and opposite apparatus placement. Whereby tuned secondary air streams created by said apparatus draw dust and debris back into the main air stream and also into the reach of the optional vacuum attachment.
 4. A method of sweeping and dusting difficult to clean areas with heavy dust accumulation by combining a dynamic active airflow stream with the passive ambient air present using a conduit to reduce peripheral billowing and back draft of dust when using compressed air, leaf blower, exhausting vacuums, etc. The method being facilitated by said apparatus acting upon the dynamic by momentarily retaining and recycling peripheral ambient air, air born dust and debris back into the dynamic systems main air stream to be accurately deposited by the operator. Whereby allowing protection of the operator from back draft dust and increased control of target dust and debris via tuned pseudo Venturi device action on main air stream at the egress port. Said apparatus comprising of various configurations, scales, and materials that represent the same method and process.
 5. A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein dust cloud sweeping occurs comprising the steps of: Operating the main air stream device, leaf blower, compressed air, workshop vacuum/blower, etc. as normal while sweeping an area. Monitor the billowing air born dust cloud development from area being dusted. Take action by waving said apparatus above or into developing dust cloud as soon as detected to draw in and direct the cloud to the ground, collection area, or nearby vacuum if not using optional vacuum wand attachment. 